Method of pitting peaches



Oct. 6, 1964 R. w. DRAKE ETAL 3,151,646

METHOD OF FITTING PEACPES Original Filed Oct. 22, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ROBERT W. DRAKE SHERMAN H. CREED T'IE'| 1 a/W.

ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1964 R. w. DRAKE. ETAL ,6

METHOD OF 91mm: PEACHES Original Fihd Oct. 22, 1987 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 QUERY I. DRAKE :HERIAN N WEED ATTORNY R. W. DRAKE ETAL METHOD OF FITTING PEACHES Original Filed Oct. 22, 1957 Oct. 6, 1964 8 Sheets-Shut 4 OWN NON

IY K7 14 Oct.. 6, 1964 R. w. DRAKE ETAL 3,151,646

METHOD OF FITTING PEACHES Original Filed Oct. 22, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 SHERMAN H. BREED N I INVENTORS I D ROBERT W. DRAKE ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1964 7 Original Filed Oct. 22, 1957 V R'.w. nRAkE ET-AL 2 METHOD OF FITTING PEACHES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 v INVENTORS ROBERT W. DRAKE SHERMAN H. GREED- ATTO RNEY Oct. 6, 1964 R. W. DRAKE ETAL METHOD OF FITTING PEACHES a Sheets-Shet 7 Original Filed Oct. 22, 1957 INVENTORS ROBERT W. DRAKE SHERMAN H. CREED ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1964 R. w. DRAKE ETAL 3,151,646

METHOD OF FITTING PEACHES Original Filed Oct. 22, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVINTORS ROBERT W. DRAKE SHERMAN ".CREED ATTORNIY United States Patent 3,151,646 METHGD 0F FITTING PEACE-ES Robert W. Drake and Sherman H. ilreed, San Jose, Qalih,

assignors to Fl /ii} Corporation, San Jose, Cali, a corporation of Delaware Original application Get. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 691,626, now Patent No. 3,535,620, dated May 22, 1962. Divided and application Sept. 1, 1%1, Ser. No. 135,598 6 Claims. (Cl. 146-238} This application is a division of the application of Drake et al., Serial No. 691,620 tiled October 22, 195 now Patent No. 3,035,620 issued May 22, 1962.

This invention pertains to the preparation of fruit and more particularly relates to a method of preparing fruit and a machine for carrying out the method.

In one method of pitting fruit, each fruit is bisected by blades having serrated edges which penetrate the fruit and grip the pit. While the pit is held in fixed position, twisting heads engage the fruit halves and twist the halves in opposite directions to free them from the pit. This method of pitt ng effectively removes the pit from the fruit halves; however, it has a distinct disadvantage in that the pits and the fruit halves are discharged from the machine together, and separate means must be provided for separating the pits from the fruit halves. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of pitting fruit wherein the pits and the fruit halves are collected separately.

Another object is to provide a method of pitting fruit whereby a three way separation of pitted fruit halves, pits, and fruit halves having split pit fragments is attained.

Another object is to provide an improved method of pit ing peaches.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vetrical section, with parts bro-ken away, taken centrally through a peach pitting machine on which the method of the present invention may be carried out.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of 1.

PEG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 33 of FF. 2.

4 is art enlarged fragnnentary horizontal section taken on line 44 or" FIG. 1.

5 is a reduced vertical section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic showing of the drive and contro mechanism shown in FIG. 1.

7 is a vertical section taken with parts in elevation taken substantially on line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

PEG. 8 is a horizontal section taken on lines 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal section taken on lines 99 of FIG. 7.

PEG. it} is a vertical section taken on lines lti-1ll of 7.

Fl 11 is a vertical section taken on line 11-11 of FIG. 7

FIG. 12 is an enlarged elevation of one of the twisting heads used in the machine of FIG. 1.

PEG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken centrally through the head of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary emarged vertical section taken on lines 1414 of PEG. 4.

PEG. 15 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 1515 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary section taken on line 16-16 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a reduced vertical section taken on line 18l3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 19 is a schematic View of the feed mechanism used in the present machine.

The pitting machine of the present invention is illustrated in H63. 1, 2 and 4- 'as comprising a rigid base 20 having four posts 22 projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the base. Each post 22 has a flange plate 23 (FIG. 2) at its lower end which is bolted to the base 29. The upper end of each post is also provided with a flange plate (not shown) that is bolted to the lower wall of a rigid box-like housing 25 (FIGS. 1 and 4) which has four upstanding side walls 25a, 25b, 25c and 25d that form a liquid-tight enclosure. When the machine is in operation, the moving parts of the machine that are disposed in the liquid-tight enclosure, are liberally deluged with lubricating oil, which is stored in the enclosure, by means of a pump 26 that is mounted in the enclosure.

Power for driving the machine is obtained from an electric motor 33 (FIGS. 4 and 6) which is mounted exteriorly of the housing, in any suitable manner, and is arranged to rotate a drive shaft 31 through a belt and pulley drive 32. As seen in FIG. 4, the drive shaft 31 passes through the opposite walls 25!; and 25d of the housing and is journalled in a bearing assembly 33 secured to each wall. Keyed on the drive shaft 31 are a pump drive sprocket 56 (FIG. 6), a face cam 37, a drive member 38a of a Ferguson drive mechanism 58, a second face cam 49, a second sprocket 41, and a cylindrical cam 42 to which is ecured a sc cam 45.

The Ferguson cam or drive member 38a is arranged to actuate two driven members 33b and 33c. The driven member 3% is arranged to intermittently index a vertical shaft 5% which is keyed to driven member 38b, through 60 degree increments of rotary movement. The vertical shaft Si) is journalled for rotation in bearing assemblies 51 (FIG. 1) disposed in a tubular support memer 53 that is secured in an opening in the bottom wall of the housing 25. At its lower end the vertical shaft 59 carries a turret 6% which comprises a hub 61 and six pitgripping blade assemblies e211 to 62;, inclusive, (FIG. 2). As the turret shaft 50 is intermittently rotated, each blade assembly is moved in a counte clockwise rotary path (FIG. 2) to six successive stations, indicated by reference letters, A, B, C, D, E, and F which are disposed at 60 degree intervals. At station A, a peach is moved onto a blade assembly when the blades are disposed in a vertical plane and are in an open, peach-rewiving position. The next indexing movement of the turret causes the blade assembly to be moved to station B and, during this movement, the blades are moved to a closed position to cut into and through the meat of the peach all the way to the pit, which is then firmly gripped by the blades. Also, during this first indexing movement, the blades are rotated about a horizontal axis from the vertical position of station A to a horizontal position.

A twisting head 76, shown in FIG. 1 and indicated in phantom lines in PEG 2, is mounted directly above station B of the turret. While the blade assembly with the peach thereon dwells at station B, the twisting sad 7%) is moved downwardly, in a manner to be explained presently, to engage and grip the half of the peach on the upper surface of the horizontal blade assembly. When the twisting head has gripped the peach, the head is rotated about a vertical axis causing the peach half to be twisted from the stationary pit. After the peach half is free from the pit, the gripper head is caused to release the peach half and allow it to remain on the upper surface of the lade assembly.

During the next ind Xing movement of the tun'et, the

blade is rotated to a vertical position at station C (FIG. 2) and, during this rotary movement, the loose peach half is dropped onto a slanted plate 75 which is disposed below the path of movement of the blade'asse-mblies. The slanted plate 75, which is supported from the base 20,-is disposed within a rigid housing 76 that'also encloses the turret. The peach half that drops on the slanted p'late 75 is directed downwardly onto a belt conveyor 78 which conveys the pitted halves to a subsequent processing station in the cannery. 7

Next, the blade assembly with the pit and the remaining peach half are indexed to station I) and the blade is rotated to a horizontal position with the remaining peach half disposed on-the blade surface that is facing upwardly. A second twisting head 80 (FIGS. 1 and 2), which is mounted above the blade assembly at station D, is moved downwardly to grip the peach half and twist it free from the pit. Then, as the blade assembly is indexed to station E, the second half of the peach is dropped 7 onto the conveyor 73. During the movement of the blade assembly from station E to station F, the blade assembly is rotated and the blades are moved to the open position, shown in FIG. 2, at station F causing the pit to drop directly onto a pit conveyor 82 or to be guided onto the conveyor by a slanted wall 81. The next indexing movement of the turret returns the blade assembly to the vertical open, peach-receiving position at station A.

Referring again to station B, it will be noted that, if

a the peach has a split pit, the peach half on the undersurface of the blades will drop downwardly when the upper half is twisted by the twisting head 7 t). The lower each half drops directly onto a conveyor 33 or is guided toward the conveyor 33 by a slanted wall 84.

Accordingly, one of the features of the present machine is its ability to make a three way separation of parts of the peach; since peach halves having split pits are directed to conveyor 83, properly pitted peach halves are directed to conveyor 78, and pits are taken away on conveyor 82.

The turret 6% is connected to the turret shaft 50 by means of a key 85 (FIG. 7) disposed in adjacent slots in the hub 61 and in the shaft 50. The hub 61 is a generally cylindrical member having six longitudinal, vertically disposed slots 87 (FIGS. 7 and 8). The slots are spaced equi-angularly' around the hub 61, one slot being associated with each blade assembly. A lever 96 is pivotally mounted ineach slot 87 and carries, at its lower end, a follower roller 91 that rides on the peripheral cumming surface of a cam 92 that is freely journalled on a sleeve 93 disposed on the turret shaft 50. The free rotation of the cam 92 relative to the shaft permits the cam to be held in fixed position, during rotation of the shaft, by an anchoring tie bar 55 (FIGJ) extending ben the support posts 22.

peach that ismoved radially inwardly of the turret and into engagement with the blades will be split by the cutting edges 1G7, ltls'and 109 of the blades. Then, when the'blades are moved toward each other to their closed position, the pit gripp ng inserts 1113 will cooperate to grip the pit and hold it in fixed position until the blades are opened again. It should be noted that, if the peach has a weak or split pit, the contact of the closing blades will break the pit and cause the severed peach halvesto drop downwardly onto split pit conveyor 83.

As shown in connection with blade assembly 62d in FIG. 7, each blade assembly has a blade carrier 115 provided with a generally tubular body portion 116 supported on bearing assemblies disposed around the tubular pivot shaft 99. The carrier 115 has two wing portions 117 and 113, each of which has two spaced hubs 120 and 121 (FIG. 10). The two hubs 120 support a shaft 123, and the two hubs 121 support a shaft 124. The blade 1% is mounted on a hub 128a of an actuator arm 123 that is keyed to the shaft 124 and has an inner end portion 128b, shown in connection with blade assembly 62a in FIG. 7, that is arranged to be contacted by the associated push rod 98. The actuator arm 128 is secured to the blade 1% by three capscrews 129. It will be evident that, when the push rod 8 8 moves radially outwardly, it pivots the actuator arm 128 and the attached blade 111-6 toward the open position of the blade assembly. Similarly the blade 105 is mounted on a hub 132a (FIG. 10) of an actuator arm 132 that is secured to the blade 165 and has an inner end 1321; arranged to be engagedby the push rod 98. As seen in FIG. 10 the inner end portions 132]; and 12% are disposed close to each the blade 1%15, and the bar 142 is disposed in a groove in the inner end of the blade 106. When the blades are pivoted to open position by the push rod 93, the springs 140 are compressed and, accordingly, are ready to move the blades to closed position when the push rod is permitted to swing inwardly. 7

Each blade assembly is rotated about'the tubular pivot shaft 99, during each indexing movement of the turret 60, by meansof a bevle gear 150 (FIG. 7) that is freely journalled on a bearing sleeve 151 that encircles the vertical turret shaft 59. The gear 159 is in mesh with six gears 152 (two only being shown in FIG. 7), one gear 152 being keyed to the blade carrier 115 of each blade The camming surface of the cam 92, which is shown in FIG. 9, is. so designed that each lever 9t} is swung outwardly to-contact a push rod 98 (FIG. 7) .siidably journalled in a tubular pivot shaft 99 which projects radially outwardly from the hub 61. Each pivot shaft 99 has a slot 99b which receives the lever 9i! and an inner extension 99a locked in a cylindrical socket 1112 of the hub 61 by a stud 193. B-ach blade assembly 62a through 62 includes two blades 105 and 1% of the type described indetail in the pending application of Paul C. Wilbur,

'Serial No. 686,171jnow Patent No. 2,954,063 issued September 27, 1960, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application. In general, each blade is a' flat elongated member having a sharpened outer edge 107 and sharpened edges 1438 and 19forrned in a pit gripping stood t rat when the blades 105 and 1% are disposed in the open position shown at the right side Jar FIG. 7;

assembly by a key 153. The bevel gear is held in fixed, non-rotating position by a tie-bar 155 (FIG. 2) that is secured at one end to the upper surface of the gear 151 and, at the other end, is secured to a p0st 22 by a connector (not shown) that is identical to the connector 96 which secures tie-bar. 15 to the post 22. Thus, as the blade assemblies are carried bodily in a circular path by the hub61, each'blade assembly is rotated, due-to the engagement of the associated gear 152 with the fixed gear 154), about the axis of the tubular pivot shaft 99, which axis will be referred to as'the axis of the blade assembly. The twisting head 86 (FIG. 1) hasa top plate 169 to which is welded an upwardly projecting lifter tube 161. Near its upper end thelifter tube 161 carries a ring 1 63 in which diametrically opposite pivot pins 164 and 165 are secured. These pivot pins receive the arms'of a yoke 167 (FIG. 4) formed on one end ofa lever 169 that is pivotally mounted at the other end onia bolt 170 secured will be apparent that the continuously rotatingdrive shaft 3-1 periodically raises and lowers the lifter tube 161 and the head attached thereto.

The twisting head 80 comprises an outer cylinder 13% (FIGS. 12 and 13) to which the cover plate 161 is secured by capscrews 181. The cylinder 18% has four openings 182 (two only being shown in FIG. 13) that ar disposed at degree intervals around the upper flanged end of the cylinder. A rod 183 projects through each opening 182 and each rod has a threaded upper end on which lock nuts 185 are disposed. The rod 183 is provided at its lower end with a block 188 which has a transverse opening fitted with a bushing 189. A spring 199 is disposed around each rod 183 between the block 138 and the upper flanged end of the cylinder. A capscrew 193 extends through the bushing 189 and through aligned open ngs 134a and 195a (FIG. 12) in two spaced arms 194 and 195, respectively, of a pad-support lever 1% so that the lever 196 is pivotally mounted on the lower end of the associated rod 18-3. Each padsupport lever 196 has a transverse, body portion 197 (FIG. 13) which is integrally formed with the arms 1'54 and 195, and has an opening arranged to receive a pin 12% which is riveted to a finger 199 on which a rubber facing 233 is molded. The facing 26% has a concave peach contacting surface that has a wavy or corrugated configuration. A torsion spring 264 is looped around a capscrew 235 threaded into the transverse body portion 197 and has one leg Zila (FIG. 12) abutting the inner surface of arm 19-?- and the other leg 2114b disposed in hooked engagement in a slot 255 formed at the outer end of the finger 199. The torsion spring 264 rotates the associated finger about the axis of the pin 19% to a slightly turned position, illustrated by the center finger of FIG. 12, wherein one side edge of the concave facing 200 is disposed further away from the vertical axis of the head than the other. At the beginning of a twisting operation the springs move the fingers into gripping engagement with the surface of the peach.

The twisting head 86 also has an inner cylinder 210 (FIG. 13) which is slidably disposed in the outer cylinder 18 3 and has a bottom wall 211 with four equally spaced flanges 211a formed thereon (two only being shown). Each flange 211a has an opening in which is disposed a bushing 212 adapted to receive a capscrew 213, which also projects through openings (not shown) in the arms 194 and 195 to pivotally mount the pad-support lever 196 on the inner cylinder. A short internally threaded tube 215 is slidably mounted in a central opening 216 in the bottom wall 211. A rubber pad 225 is supported from the lower end of the tube 215 by a capscrew 217, and a rod 219 is threaded in the upper end of the tube to project upwardly therefrom. At its upper end the rod 219 is slidably journalled in a bushing 221 that is disposed against a shoulder 222a of an inner tubular twister shaft 222. A spring225 is disposed around the rod 219 between the bushing 221 and a washer 226 which lies on the upper end of the short tube 215. At its lower end the inner tubular shaft 222 is secured, as by welding, to a transverse plate 228 that is bolted to four tabs 23% (two only being shown in FIG. 13) that project inwardly from the inner surface of the inner cylinder 210. Four compression springs 232 (two only being shown) me disposed between the lower wall 211 of the cylinder 219 and the cover plate 169.

To prevent rotation of the inner cylinder 219 relative to the outer cylinder 180, two capscrews 235 (FIG. 12) are threaded through tapped openings in the wall of the outer cylinder 139 and into a key 236 that is disposed in a slot 237 in the outer cylinder and in a slot 238 in the inner cylinder. A second pair of capscrews (not shown) are disposed diametrically opposite the capscrews 235 to lock a similar key between the inner and outer cylinders.

When the lifter tube 161 is lowered during the operation of the machine, the rubber pad 220 engages the upper surface of the peach. The sliding engagement of the short sleeve 215 in the wall 211 permits the inner cylinder 211 to move downwardly causing the spring 225 to be compressed to resiliently load the pad 229. The inner cylinder is moved downwardly until a lock nut 24% (FIG. 1), threaded on the upper end of the inner tubular shaft 222, engages a rubber stop member 242 secured on a thrust bearing 243 on a support casting 245 which extends across a portion of the upper end of the housing 25. The casting 245 is bolted to the top of the side walls of the housing and to a central partition 246 of the housing. Engagement of lock nut 24% with the stop member 242 stops the downward movement of the inner cylinder 21% (PEG. 12), and then further downward movement of the outer cylinder causes the outer cylinder to slide downwardly relative to the inner cylinder. The springs 232 are compressed and a force is transmitted through the four springs 19%) tending to pivot the pad-support levers 196 inwardly so that the pads engage the outer surface of the peach half. After the twisting operation, which will be explained presently, the lifter tube 161 is moved upwardly causing the four rods 133 to first pivot the pad-support levers 196 outwardly away from the peach and then, acting through the levers 1% and capscrews 213, move the inner cylinder 21% upwardly.

The twister head 80 is rotated, to twist the peach half off the pit, by means of a gear 251) (FIGS. 1 and 6) that is keyed on the inner tubular twister shaft 222. The gear 256 is in mesh with a first idler gear 251 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 252 that has a head 252a at its lower end and is threaded at its upper end to receive a nut 253. The shaft 252 is locked in a flanged sleeve 256 (FIG. 1) which is disposed in an opening in the support casting 24-5. A second idler gear 266, which meshes with the first idler gear 251, is supported on a shaft 261 from the support casting 245 in exactly the same manner as the first idler gear is supported. A drive gear 262 (FIGS. 1 and 6) which meshes with gear 264 is keyed to a vertical shaft 265 that is rotatably journalled in a bearing retainer sleeve 266. The sleeve 266 is best shown in FIG. 4 wherein it will be noted that an upper circular flange 266:; of the sleeve is bolted to a horizontal platform 27%) which is formed integral with the Wall 25c and the partition 24-6 of the base 25. second Ferguson driven member 380 (PEG. 6) is keyed to the lower end of the vertical shaft 265. Thus, durin operation, the Ferguson drive intermittently rotates the vertical shaft 265 which in turn intermittently rotates the inner tubular shaft 22 of the twister head 89 through the gears 262, 261 251 and 2541. Referring again to FIG. 13, the inner shaft 222 rotates the inner cylinder 210, which in turn drives the outer cylinder 189 through the keys 236 (FIG. 12).

The other twister head 79 is identical to the twister head 1%. Also, the head 79 is raised and lowered in an identical manner by means of a lever 3% (FIGS. 4 and 14) that is pivoted from Wall 25a by a bolt 391. Intermediate its length, the lever 36% carries a roller 3G4 that rides in a camming groove 305 in the face cam 4% which, as previously mentioned, is also keyed to drive shaft 31. At its free end, the lever 369 carries a yoke 3%7 which is pivotally connected to a ring 363 keyed to an outer cylindrical shaft 31% of the twister head 71' An inner tubular shaft 312 (FIG. 1) is provided with lock nuts 313 and has a gear 315 keyed thereon. The outer shaft 319 and the inner shaft 312 of the head 71 are identical in construction and operation to the outer shaft 161 and the inner shaft 222, respectively, of the head 8%. Accordingly, a detailed description of the construction and operation of the head 73 will not be necessary. It will be noted in FIGS. 1 and 6 that the head ill is twisted by the drive gear 262, that is keyed to the Ferguson drive shaft 265, through an .wardly from the wall 25a.

, 41 keyed to drive shaft 31-.

idler gear 320. This idler gear 32tl'is supported from As shown schematically in FIG. 19, peaches are fed to an open blade assembly at the feed station A by means of two feed members 350 and 351 each of which has a support arm 353 arranged to be oscillated by vertical rotatable shaft 354. Each feed member is movable from a position X at which a flat blade 356 mounted on the member receives a peach, to a position Y Where the peach is impaled on a fixed blade 355, which is mounted on a fixed frame member 357 (FIG. 1) in coplanar relation with the blade assembly at feed station A and with the fiat blade 356. Eachblade 356 has a recess 356a disposed between a sharpened longitudinal edge 35617 and a locating head or projection 3565'. To position the peach on the feed member, the operator grasps the peach with both hands, adjusts the peach until its suture plane is vertical, and i-mpales the peach on the blade 356 when it is momentarily stopped at position X. When the projection 3560 has entered the stem end of the peach, the operator imparts a downward pivoting movement to the peach, causing it to be firmly impaled on the blade with the pit abutting the projection 356a and the sharpened edge 356.6.

If the peach has a particularly Weak split pit, the pit may "shatter as it is brought into contactrwith the blade 356.

In this case the peach will be cut in halves as it is moved downwardly on the blade 3 56 and the halves will drop onto a slanted bottom wall 358 of the enclosure 76 and be directed onto the split pit conveyor 83.

After one of the feed members has impaled a peach on the fixed blade 355 at position Y, a pair of transfer cups 360 and 361 are moved inwardly from opposite sides of the blade 355 to engage the peach. When the peach is engaged, the cups are moved as a unit radially inwardly of the turret to remove the peach from the fixed blade-355 and position it between the open blades 105 and 1660f the blade assembly that is at the feed station A of the turret at this time.

The feed member 350 (FIG. 2) is moved from position X to position Y by rotation of the associated shaft 354. As seen in FIG. 3, the support arm 353 has a hub freely journalled on the shaft 354. A flanged hub 357 is keyed to the shaft 354 and has a socket 358 arranged to receive a ball 359 that is urged upwardly by a spring 363 mounted in a socket 364 in the hub of support arm 353. Under normal conditions, the hub 357 will drive the arm 353 through the ball 359. However, if the operator wishes to 1 stop the movement of arm 353, a holding pressure exerted on the arm will cause the ball 359 to be cammed out of the socket 358. Rotationof shaft 354 is effected by a link 365 (FIG. 4) that is pivotally connected'between an to a follower support arm 373 (FIG. 14) that is keyed on a a shaft 375' (FIG. 4) that is rotatably mounted in wall portions of the housing 25. The follower support arm 373 carries a roller 377 (FIG. '14) that rides in a cam- 'ming groove 378 of a face cam 380. The cam380 is keyed to a shaft 381 which, as seen in FIG. 4, is rotatably mounted at one end in a bearing assembly 383 secured to wall 25d and at the other end in a boss 334 projecting in- A chain 391 is trained around a sprocket 391 keyed to shaft381 and around the sprocket that as the driveshaft 31 rotates, it rotates the face cam 380 causing the support arm .353 of feed member 351) to 7 be oscillated to move the feed member 356 between peach receiving position X to peach impaling position Y.

Similarly, the feed member 351 (FIG. 4) is moved bet 7 tween positions X and Y bya link 4% pivotally connected to an arm 401 that is keyedito the shaft 354 to which the .s'u p'port arm 353 of feed member 351 is connected by a It will therefore be evident spring-loaded ball and socket drive, identical to the drive shown in FIG. 3. A cam follower support arm 492 (FIG. 15) is pivotally connected to link 4% and 'is keyed at its upper end to the rotatable shaft 375 which also carries the follower arm 373. A roller 404 which is mounted on arm 402 intermediate its length, is arranged to ride in a camming groove 405 of a face cam 406 that is keyed to the shaft 381 which is driven by chain 399. Since both of the face cams 330 and 406 are driven by shaft'381; it 10 is evident that the feed members 350 and 351 are oscillated in timed relation. The cams 389 and 406 are so designed that, although the feed members are actuated successively, each feed member is held in position X until the other feed member has impaled a peach on the fixed blade 355 and returned to its position X.

17) that comprises two spaced bosses 412 and 413 con-' nected by a front strap 414 and a rear strap 415. An arm 416 extends downwardly fiom boss 413 to receive the associated bar 410 in bolted relation. A rotatable g roller 417 is connected on the strap 414 of each support member 411. A rod 429 (FIG. 1), that 'is fixed in two spaced brackets 421 and 422 supported from the lower wall of the housing 25, projects through the spaced bosses 412 and 413 of each support member 411 to support the member 411 for pivoting movement.

The two rollers 417 are disposed adjacent each other in the path of downward movement of an actuator plate 425 (FIGS. 1 and 16) carried on a pivotally mounted lever 426. A cam follower roller 428 (FIG. 16) is mounted on an arm 42 9 projecting upwardly from lever 426 through an opening in the bottom wall of the-housing.

This opening is sealed by a flexible membrane 427 that is bolted to the wall. The roller 428 rides along a camming surface 430 of the disc cam 43 which is secured to 4.0 the cylindrical cam 42 that is keyed on drive shaft 31.

When the roller follower 428 'is moved downwardly by the camming surface 430, the lever 426 is swung downwardly causing the actuator plate 425 to engage the two 'r ollers 417 and swing the cups'360 and 361 outwardly 45 away from each other. A spring 433, which is connected between the lever 426 and the housing 25, urges the lever 426 upwardly so that the lever is periodically swung upwardly, under the control of the camming surface 430, to move the actuator plate 425 away from the rollers 417 and permit a spring 435, connected between'the bars 410, to swing the cups 360 and 361 into gripping engagement with a peach impaled on the fixed. blade 355.

The cups 366 and 361 are reciprocated'toward and away from the blade assembly at feed station A by means of the cylindrical cam 42 which is arranged to oscillate a lever 43 4 (F168. 1 and 16) that has a roller 436 disposed in a carnming groove 437. The lever 434 has a forked lower end disposed around'two rollers 438and 439 rotatably mounted on a bolt 440 extending through a rod 441. The rod 441, which is slidably disposed in a sleeve 445 (FIG. 1) in the wall 25d, has one end fixed in a plate "446 that also carries a lower rod 447 in parallel fixed re-' lation to rod 441. A pusher unit 450 (FIGS. 16 and 17) is fixed to the inner end of the lower rod 447, and this pusher unit comprises a pair of spaced hubs 459a and 45% connected'by straps 452 to a central hub 453 which sreceives the lower rod- 447. As seen in FIG. 17, the hub 45%- is disposed around rod 426 between the spaced bosses 412an d 413 of the cup support member 411. The

hub 45tla is similarly'disposed between the bosses of the associated support member 411. Referring to FIG. 1 it will be evident that, when the cylindrical cam 42 is rotated, the lever 434 moves the parallel rods441 and 447 radially inwardly or outwardly of the turret to move 5' the; transfer cups 360 and 361 toward or away from the blades of the blade assembly at feed station A. The rods 441 and 447 and plate 446 thus act as an actuating linkage for the transfer cups.

As previously mentioned, as the blade assembly leaves station E (FIG. 2) the blades are moved to open position to permit the pit to drop onto pit conveyor 82. If the pit adheres to one of the blades, it will be forced off the blades by a stationary ejector or scraper member 460 which is mounted above station F. The ejector member 460 is bolted to a bracket 461 that has an upstanding arm 462 secured to the wall by bolts 464 (FIG. 4). The member 460 has a depending blade 465 which, as seen in FIG. 18, has a lower edge that is curved to permit the rotating blade assembly to move past the ejector blade 465 in closely spaced relation. Several positions of the rotating blades are shown in phantom lines in FIG. 18. Referring again to FIG. 2, it will be seen that a pit carried on either blade will come into contact with the depending ejector blade 465 just before the blades come to rest at station F or immediately upon leaving station F. It will be evident that if, for some reason a whole peach reaches station E without being pitted, the blade 465 will force it off the blade and cause it to drop onto the pit conveyor 82.

To put the machine into operation, the electric motor (FIG. 6) is energized causing it to rotate the drive shaft 31. As the shaft 31 is continuously rotated, the twisting head lift cams 37 and 4% are rotated, as also are the Ferguson drive member 38a, the disc cam 43 which controls the movement of the transfer cups 360 and 361 radially of the turret.

In summarizing the operation of the machine, the progress of a single peach as it is moved through the machine will be followed with particular reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The peach P is positioned on the blade 356 of feed member 350 (FIG. 2) when it is momentarily held stationary at position X. The peach is so impaled on the blade that the suture plane of the peach is substantially in the plane of the blade and the pit of the peach is disposed with its long axis generally horizontal and substantially in the plane of the blade. As the drive shaft 31 rotates, the disc cam 38% (FIG. 4) is rotated to actuate the tie-rod 372 and the associated linkage to swing the feed member 350 to position Y to impale the peach on the fixed vertical blade 355. When the peach is thus impaled, the disc cam 43 permits the roller 42% (FIG. 1) to move upwardly and allows the spring 435 (FIG. 2) to swing the cups 360 and 361 into gripping engagement with the peach. When the peach is firmly engaged, the cylindrical cam 42 (FIG. 1) swings the lever 434 in a direction to cause the pusher unit 450 to slide the cup support members 411 radially inwardly of the turret to remove the peach from the fixed blade 355 and impale it on the blades 1G5 and 106 that are held in open position at feed station A of the turret.

After the peach has been impaled on the open blades 105 and 106, the disc cam 43 (FIG. 1) forces the roller 428 downwardly, causing the actuator plate 425 to engage the rollers 417 and swing the transfer cups 36-8 and 361 away from the peach. The cam 42 then swings lever 434 in a direction to move the transfer cups radially outwardly of the turret to their initial position adjacent the fixed blade 355. The Ferguson drive 38 then indexes the turret to move the blade assembly to station E. During this movement, the cam 92 at the lower end of the turret shaft permits the lever 95 to swing radially inwardly, allowing the springs 149 (FIG. 2) to move the blades toward each other to cut into the peach and grip the pit.

As the blade assembly moves to station E, the gear 152 (FIG. 2) associated with the blade assembly rolls along the fixed bevel gear 150 and effects a 90 rotation of the blade assembly about the longitudinal axis of the pivot tube 99 (FIG. 1) to move the blades to a horizontal position. The direction of rotation of the blade assemlb bly is such that the blade 1%, which is uppermost at station A, is trailing the blade 1.06 at station B, as shown in FIG. 2. When the blades have come to rest at station B, the face cam 40 (FIG. 1) lowers the twisting head 70 into gripping engagement with the peach half projecting upwardly from the blade assembly. The Fergusion drive then rotates the twisting head to twist the peach half free from the stationary pit. The twisting head is then raised by cam 40, releasing the peach half which remains on the blades.

The turret is again indexed to move the blade assembly to station C. During the movement toward station C, the blade assembly is again rotated 90 about its longitudinal axis. This 90 rotation moves the blade 166 (FIG. 2) upwardly and the blade 105 downwardly, causing the peach half to slide or tumble off the blades and be directed by the inclined wall onto conveyor 78.

When the turret is next indexed to station D, the blade assembly is again rotated 90 about its axis to bring the remaining peach half into position below the twisting head 80. The cam 37 lowers the head into gripping engagement with the remaining peach half, and the Ferguson drive rotates the head 8% to free the peach half from the pit. When the peach half is free from the pit, the head is moved upwardly causing it to release the peach half. Then, as the blade assembly is moved to station B, it is again rotated causing the peach half to drop downwardly onto conveyor 78.

\Vhen the blade assembly is rotated 90, as it is moved to station F, the blades 1G5 and ten are moved to open position by the associated push rod 98 which is moved outwardly at this time by the cam 92. Accordingly, the pit is released and dropped onto the pit conveyor 82. If the pit clings to one of the blades, it is carnmed off the blade by the stationary ejector member 4 59. During the next indexing movement of the turret, the blade assembly is rotated to vertical position at feed station A and is ready to receive another whole peach from feed member 350.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the present invention provides a novel, efficient method of twist-pitting peaches. The movement of the fruit in a horizontal path between a plurality of stations, and the arrangement of conveyors below the path of travel of the blades at predetermined positions makes possible the separation of the pits from the fruit halves as a step of the pitting method. Further, the arrangement of the operations is such that a three way separation of the pitted peach halves, the pits, and peach halves having split pit fragments is effected as an integral part of the method.

It will be understood that modifications and variations of the method of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

l. A method of pitting peaches comprising the steps of bisecting the flesh of a whole peach and gripping the pit, orienting the peach so that one half projects upwardly and the other half projects downwardly from the gripped pit, twisting the upwardly projecting peach half while holding the pit in fixed position at a first processing station whereby the upwardly projecting peach half w'dl be freed from its pit if the pit is solid and the downwardly projecting peach half will fall downwardly if the pit is split, then in the case of a split pit, intercepting and collecting the downwardly falling peach half and the associated split pit fragment or, alternately in the case of a solid pit, collecting the upwardly projecting peach half freed from the solid pit by said twisting operation, and then twisting the other peach half from the pit and collecting it, releasing the pit, and separately collecting the pit.

2. A method of pitting peaches by means of an indexible mechanism having a plurality of simultaneously ac.- tive processing stations comprising the steps of, bisecting and gripping the flesh of a whole peach at a first processing station, separating one halfhf 'su'ch'peach from the pit at a second processing station while maintaining the pit gripped, separating the other half of such peach from the associated gripping mechanism for separate collection at a fourth processing station by locating a stationary ejec tion device in the path of the pit, thus conditioning the gripping mechanism to receive another, Whole peach at the first processing station.

3. A method of pitting peaches by means of a mechanism having a plurality of simultaneously active processing stations comprising the steps of, 'bisecting and gripping, respectively, the flesh and the pit of awhole peach at a first processing station, successively separating the bisected halves of said peach at a second and a third processing station, respectively, while maintaining the pit of suchcp'each gripped in a gripping mechanism, and

releasing'the gripping mechanism and ejecting the pit for separate collection at a fourth processing station, wherein such ejection conditions the gripping mechanism, to bisect 'and grip a whole peach of the-firstprocessing station.

4. A method'of separately collecting'the pit of a peach which has been processed by means of an'indexible mechanism having a plurality of simultaneously active processing stations said mechanism having means that bisect the 'whole peach and grip the pit, and successively separately remove each half, of the peach While maintaining the pit gripped, with such acts occurring at the first, second and third processing stations respectively, the improvement comprising the steps of releasing the grip on the pit between the third and a fourth processing station, disengaging a retained pit from its associated-gripping device at the fourth processing station by abuttingly en'gagingthe so-retained pit with a stationary ejector'located in its path of movement, and separately collecting the pit at the fourth processing station.

5. A method of separately collecting the pit of a peach which has been processed by the method whereby the whole peachchas been bisected so that the halves thereof are serially removed for separate collection while maintaining the pit in a gripping mechanism with such steps occurring at the first, second and third processing stations respectively, the improvement comprising the steps of releasing the grip on the pit between the third and a fourth processing station, and positively ejecting the pit from its associated gripping mechanism for separate coling stations, said mechanism having means that bisect the Whole peach and grip the pit, and successively separately remove each half of the peach While maintaining the pit gripped with such acts occurring at the first, second and third processing stations respectively, the improvement comprising the steps of orienting the suture plane of such pit in a substantially horizontal plane at a fourth processing station, and separately collecting the pit at the fourth processing station by releasing its associated gripping mechanism and positively ejecting the pit therefrom for reception by a pit collecting, device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 474,901 Carter May 17, 1892 580,563' Totten Apr. 13, 1897 2,664,127 Perrelli' Dec. 29, 1953 2,775,279 Perrelli Dec. 25, 1956 

2. A METHOD OF PITTING PEACHES BY MEANS OF AN INDEXIBLE MECHANISM HAVING A PLURALITY OF SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTIVE PROCESSING STATIONS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, BISECTING AND GRIPPING THE FLESH OF A WHOLE PEACH AT A FIRST PROCESSING STATION, SEPARATING ONE HALF OF SUCH PEACH FROM THE PIT AT A SECOND PROCESSING STATION WHILE MAINTAINING THE PIT GRIPPED, SEPARATING THE OTHER HALF OF SUCH PEACH FROM THE PIT AT A THIRD PROCESSING STATION WHILE MAINTAINING THE PIT GRIPPED, AND POSITIVELY REMOVING A RETAINED PIT FROM ITS ASSOCIATED GRIPPING MECHANISM FOR SEPARATE COLLECTION AT A FOURTH PROCESSING STATION BY LOCATING A STATIONARY EJEC- 